All sporting events in Italy, including Serie A, will be suspended until April 3 at the earliest due to the coronavirus outbreak, the Italian National Olympic Committee announced on Monday.

The committee, known as CONI, will request a government decree to impose the decision at all levels in the country, according to The Associated Press.

The suspension isn't expected to impact Italian clubs or national teams participating in continental or international competitions, including the Champions League.

"This situation has no precedent in history," CONI said in a statement that BBC Sport translated.

It was announced last week that Serie A matches will be played behind closed doors until April 3, a ruling imposed for Sunday's matches in the Italian top flight.

Despite the league taking measures to prevent the virus from spreading, Italy's sports minister Vincenzo Spadafora criticized Serie A - which hasn't had matches canceled since World War II - for ignoring appeals to suspend play.

The coronavirus outbreak is affecting Italy the worst in Europe, with over 450 deaths and over 7,000 confirmed cases. Up to 16 million people have been quarantined in the country's northern region.

In France, it was announced on Monday that Paris Saint-Germain's Champions League match on Wednesday will be played behind closed doors. The nation's sports minister Roxana Maracineanu also announced a limitation on public gatherings, which will result in all Ligue 1 games being restricted to 1,000 or fewer spectators.

Meanwhile, Britain's Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport said there's "no rationale" to postponing sporting events at this time.